Dear Norm: +++++ " The above adventures have led me to the discovery of how sonically influencial are output coupling and other signal carrying capacitors. Boy was I floored when a capacitor change (at $18 to $35 each) impacted the sonic signature significantly more than an IC, PC and tube change. " +++++
We have to understand this kind of statement ( btw, about the TP I will let you know " alone " by e-mail, I don't want a heavy controversy here. Dan, well was almost a joke but how far we are on the 11 version when we almost are in the VIII one? )
Like the step up transformer: the best capacitor is NO capacitor at all.
If you compare a phonopreamp DC coupled against any cap/transformer coupled the quality differences is really great in favor of the DC coupled one.
The Allaerts MC2 Finish, that is a glorious quality performance cartridge, deserve not only a very good phonopreamp circuit design but a DC coupled unit with around 80 db of clean gain with out distortions/noise and with out SUT. The MC 2 is an around 7K dollars, please don't tell me that you will " leave " the whole cartridge performance in the " hands " of a " cheap " capacitor and transformers. Well you can do that but in that way you never/ever know which one is really the MC2 Finish quality and you never know why you do a 7K payment for that cartridge.
We can do an analogy: would you buy a Lamborghini Contact to use it in " your virtual home " that is located in the mid of the Sahara where there is no any serious ( German Vans ) roads? I think that you don't. Then why try to do the same with the MC2 Finish? or the Colibri or other top jewelery/cartridges.
With all my respect to you that does not makes sense to me: it makes sense to you?
Other example: just imagine a Soprano singing through a paper box instead to do it directly/in a natural way. It don't makes sense, no?.
Now, if I were in your position to buy those top cartridges/tonearms/TT before I take action about my very first step should be to have the phonopreamp that will be abble to do " justice " to those great " analog devices ". At the analog stage ( in the audio system ) the phonopreamp has a vital " work ", we can't do mistakes here. Of course many of us already take the wrong " road " and many times we take the wrong road because a misconception about the critical importance that has the phonopreamp. I think that sooner or later we have to give to the phonopreamp the vital " life " that represents for the correct quality music sound reproduction at home.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
We have to understand this kind of statement ( btw, about the TP I will let you know " alone " by e-mail, I don't want a heavy controversy here. Dan, well was almost a joke but how far we are on the 11 version when we almost are in the VIII one? )
Like the step up transformer: the best capacitor is NO capacitor at all.
If you compare a phonopreamp DC coupled against any cap/transformer coupled the quality differences is really great in favor of the DC coupled one.
The Allaerts MC2 Finish, that is a glorious quality performance cartridge, deserve not only a very good phonopreamp circuit design but a DC coupled unit with around 80 db of clean gain with out distortions/noise and with out SUT. The MC 2 is an around 7K dollars, please don't tell me that you will " leave " the whole cartridge performance in the " hands " of a " cheap " capacitor and transformers. Well you can do that but in that way you never/ever know which one is really the MC2 Finish quality and you never know why you do a 7K payment for that cartridge.
We can do an analogy: would you buy a Lamborghini Contact to use it in " your virtual home " that is located in the mid of the Sahara where there is no any serious ( German Vans ) roads? I think that you don't. Then why try to do the same with the MC2 Finish? or the Colibri or other top jewelery/cartridges.
With all my respect to you that does not makes sense to me: it makes sense to you?
Other example: just imagine a Soprano singing through a paper box instead to do it directly/in a natural way. It don't makes sense, no?.
Now, if I were in your position to buy those top cartridges/tonearms/TT before I take action about my very first step should be to have the phonopreamp that will be abble to do " justice " to those great " analog devices ". At the analog stage ( in the audio system ) the phonopreamp has a vital " work ", we can't do mistakes here. Of course many of us already take the wrong " road " and many times we take the wrong road because a misconception about the critical importance that has the phonopreamp. I think that sooner or later we have to give to the phonopreamp the vital " life " that represents for the correct quality music sound reproduction at home.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.